Travel advocates will gain an important and creative tool to engage elected officials in cities and states throughout the country - informing them about the economic power of the travel industry - with the U.S. Travel Association's newly launched nationwide bus tour.
The 2012 Vote Travel campaign will cover 20,000 miles and incorporate major rallies in selected cities, as well as meetings with local elected officials and travel industry leaders, U.S. Travel reports.
"Travel contributes $1.9 trillion to our economy and supports more than 14.4 million U.S. jobs, and the Vote Travel campaign aims to highlight the strength of our industry and engage its employees nationwide," said Roger Dow, president and CEO of the association.
"While we're having some fun and playing off the current campaign season, the Vote Travel bus tour and rallies present local travel advocates an important and creative tool in engaging elected officials in cities and states throughout the country and informing them about the power of our industry," Dow said.
The Vote Travel bus was officially unveiled on March 21 at Union Station in Washington, D.C., at U.S. Travel's Get America Moving Reception, a gathering of state and travel business leaders with Congressional policymakers.
In addition to rallies and meetings, local communities will be urged to have their elected representatives and candidates sign a pledge that supports "policies that safely and effectively reduce barriers to travel to and within the United States."
Vote Travel's policy priorities include measures that reduce security and visa hassles associated with travel; efforts to promote small businesses because most travel industry companies employ 500 or fewer employees; and U.S. investment in promoting travel.
The campaign also highlights the economic benefit that conventions and meetings bring to local communities.
A current schedule of the bus tour is available online and includes stops in the following U.S. cities:
Atlanta, GA*
Austin, TX
Bloomington, MN
Boston, MA
Charlotte, NC
Cheyenne, WY
Chicago, IL
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, TX*
Denver, CO
Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Ft. Myers, FL
Houston, TX
Indianapolis, IN
Las Vegas, NV*
Little Rock, AR
Los Angeles, CA*
Memphis, TN
Miami, FL*
Myrtle Beach, SC
Nashville, TN*
New Orleans, LA
New York, NY
Orlando, FL*
Palm Springs, CA
Philadelphia, PA*
Phoenix, AZ
Pittsburgh, PA
Portland, OR
Salt Lake City, UT
San Antonio, TX
San Diego, CA
San Francisco, CA
Scottsdale, AZ
Seattle, WA
St. Petersburg, FL
Tampa, FL
Virginia Beach, VA
Washington, DC*
*Cities where a rally will be held.
More information about the Vote Travel campaign can be found at www.votetravel.org.